The invention relates to a method for adjusting an aiming telescope and a laser range finder for a weapon system.
Many kinds of adjusting methods are known to the art, including several developed by the applicant. One such method, utilizing a computer-assisted sighting device, is disclosed, for example, in German Patent Document DE-PS 36 03 521, and another aiming method, for use with sighting devices of unguided weapons, is disclosed in German Patent Document DE-PS 36 05 074. These devices have been successful in practice, but can be used only for a limited class of weapon systems.
One technique that is utilized by the prior art is to connect a laser range finder with the weapon and the aiming telescope by means of an adjustable flange, and to adjust the laser range finder with respect to the axis of the weapon and the aiming telescope by means of a testing collimator. A similar technique which has also been used is to rigidly connect the laser range finder with the weapon and the aiming telescope, and adjust at the laser range finder the optical axes of the optical transmitter and receiver individually to the axis of the weapon and the aiming telescope.
The disadvantage of the first method is that it requires a mechanically expensive, shock-sensitive 2-axes adjusting flange; the disadvantage of the second method is the necessity for intervention in the hermetically sealed laser range finder and an expensive adjustment of two optical ray beams in two directions respectively. In addition, the target graticule of the aiming telescope either must not be changed, or else it must always be restored to its original position with each laser firing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for adjusting a sighting device for a weapon system of the generic type described above, in which:
no mechanical adjustment of flanges or similar devices is required between the weapon, the aiming telescope and the laser range finder; PA1 a manufacturing tolerance with respect to the fastening flanges of several milliradians is sufficient; PA1 adjustment is performed by motor-driven, computer-controlled graticule plates in the aiming telescope; PA1 the graticule plate positions for the zero position, the laser measurement, the emergency target graticule, and others, are permanently stored in the computer; PA1 the stored graticule positions can easily be changed and corrected, when the adjustment is tested by a suitable testing collimator.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.